Floods, landslides leave 11 dead, 60 missing in SW China

CHENGDU, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Floods and landslides have left 11 people dead and 60 missing over the past three days in southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to the provincial civil affairs department.

Heavy rains began pounding many places in Sichuan Thursday. As of noon Saturday, almost 500,000 people were affected and 20,000 had been evacuated.

About 24,000 homes had been damaged and 17,000 hectares of crops had been affected. Direct economic losses stood at about 1 billion yuan (147 million US dollars).

At least 38 people are missing after rain-triggered floods and landslides ravaged Wenchuan County early Saturday.

The China National Committee for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Saturday dispatched a working team headed by Vice Minister Luo Pingfei to help guide relief work in the flood-hit zone.

Floods and landslides have caused chaos across the country this summer. In northwest China's Gansu Province, a devastating mudslide has killed at least 1,239 with 505 still missing.